Denpasar. Indonesian authorities on Thursday revealed details of the dramatic arrest of an alleged Australian drug cartel leader in Bali after he was caught attempting to leave the country aboard a private jet using a fake Brazilian passport.

The suspect, identified as 55-year-old Australian national Angelo Pandeli, was detained on June 6 after immigration officers at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport flagged him during a routine inspection of passengers on a private jet scheduled to fly from Denpasar to Maputo, Mozambique.

According to authorities, the operation began when Indonesia's immigration system detected a match between one of the passengers and an Interpol blue notice issued at the request of Australian authorities.

The discovery prompted officials to halt the departure of the aircraft and launch a joint investigation involving immigration officers and the National Police's narcotics unit.

The aircraft, a Capa Jet private plane operating as flight N917CJ, was carrying three crew members and four foreign passengers.

Investigators quickly became suspicious of a passenger traveling on a Brazilian passport under the name George Anderson Mota Correia. Immigration records showed no lawful entry or residency documentation associated with the identity.

As authorities continued their examination, the situation escalated when several passengers allegedly reboarded the aircraft without authorization and prepared for departure despite instructions to remain grounded.

Air traffic controllers subsequently ordered the aircraft to return to the terminal for further inspection.

“We identified a match with Interpol data. Further examination confirmed that the individual was Angelo Pandeli, who is listed as an internationally wanted person,” Narcotics Unit Chief Commissioner Drago said.

After the aircraft was stopped, officers conducted a thorough search of the cabin and discovered the suspect hiding inside one of the plane's lavatories. The three other passengers remained in the cabin during the operation.

A forensic examination later determined that the Brazilian passport used by the suspect was fraudulent.

Through coordination with Interpol and international law enforcement agencies, authorities confirmed the passenger's true identity as Angelo Pandeli, an Australian citizen who has long been on the radar of international investigators.

Indonesian authorities, citing information from Interpol and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), said Pandeli is suspected of being a key figure in a transnational organized crime network and is believed to have links to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang in Australia.

He has also been associated with investigations into large-scale narcotics trafficking into Australia, although authorities have not stated that he has been convicted of those allegations.

Australian authorities had reportedly been tracking Pandeli's movements after he left Australia years ago. Before surfacing in Bali, he is believed to have spent time in the Middle East and several other countries while traveling under multiple identities.

“Based on information we received, he was suspected of planning to flee to Southeast Asia, including Cambodia or Vietnam, using false identities and fraudulent travel documents,” Drago said.

Following his arrest, Indonesian authorities coordinated with the AFP and the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. After immigration procedures were completed, Pandeli was deported to Australia to face legal proceedings requested by Australian authorities.

Indonesia's immigration authorities have also imposed a lifetime ban preventing him from re-entering the country.

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